Robbins getting better by leaps and vaults

GOSHEN — Who knew that years of dance recitals would turn Marisa Robbins into a pole vault championship contender?

Ken McMillan

GOSHEN — Who knew that years of dance recitals would turn Marisa Robbins into a pole vault championship contender?

Robbins' mother is a dance instructor, and Marisa spent much of her youth learning lyrical, ballet, tap and jazz dancing. At the close of every "season,'' all the children had to perform before an audience.

"We were put on a stage in front of tons and tons of people,'' Robbins said, "with music blaring and lights. It took a lot not to forget anything.''

Robbins said she developed a competitive mindset to perform on the biggest stage, literally and figuratively. She carried that into her gymnastics performances and, once in high school, into track and field. Distance running was Robbins' first pursuit but she also took an interest in pole vaulting.

"It just caught my eye,'' Robbins said. "I used to be a gymnast so stuff like flying through the air "» I always liked it.''

Progress was slow until her junior year, when she joined the Hudson Valley Flying Circus pole vaulting club in Warwick because Goshen didn't have any indoor training. Robbins cleared 10 feet for the first time last May, winning the OCIAA championship. Within two months she had progressed to 10-5½ at a Junior Olympics meet. Her indoor debut produced an 11-foot jump and she advanced to 11-6 and a career-best 11-7 by the end of December — that leap ranked No. 4 in the state. Recently, Robbins won the indoor state qualifier at 11-6 and placed sixth at states at 11 feet.

"Competition drives me. It keeps me in the game,'' Robbins said. "Last year we saw that I had a drop (in performance) in dual meets and when I came into the (big meets), when there is a lot more pressure on me, I started to come out a little more. I feel it brings out the best.''

Goshen girls' coach J.B. Russo is impressed with Robbins' progress.

"I think in the short time she has been doing it, she has been doing it extremely well,'' Russo said. "She put a lot of hard work into what she's done.''

The opportunity to learn pole vaulting under the tutelage of Meaghan Olin and Jenny Edmonson was a positive impact for Robbins, who has since broken their best marks. Robbins said her goal is to reach 13 feet before graduation.

"I hope to put my school record so high that it stays up there for a while,'' Robbins said.

Robbins would like to return to the state meet but she knows she will have some stiff competition from Catherine Walker of Monroe-Woodbury and Erin Leahey of Warwick. Walker is the current Section 9 outdoor leader at 11-3 (No. 2 in the state) and Leahey is second at 9-6 (the leaders list is based on spring invitationals).

"I do want to go win and bring home a title for Goshen but I also want to jump my highest,'' Robbins said. "I don't just want to win and stop. I want to jump the highest I can do.''

Robbins is headed to Manhattan College with some scholarship money. She would like to become an arts major with an emphasis on communications or advertising.

"Before pole vaulting and sports, we weren't even sure about college,'' Robbins said. "Since I have gotten into sports, it has driven me to do something.''

kmcmillan@th-record.com Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

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